It’s a fact: school kids are gross

Learn how to prevent and treat pinworms (I know…ugh!) in this sponsored post.

School is back in session as of a few weeks ago, and I was glad to send my daughter back. Not because I don’t like having her around, but because she’s fortunate to be in an awesome school with a fantastic community. The parents are all super active and engaged. Our principal has been there forever and truly loves the students. We have great teachers. There’s only one thing I don’t like about sending my daughter back to school—other kids.

Don’t get me wrong, the other children are sweetie pies, but along with them comes germs and other unwelcome health issues. It seems like the more kids you get together, the better the chances of one (or some) of them catching or coming down with something!

I’ll never forget the day I got a call from the school informing me that my daughter had lice. First of all, I didn’t even know black folks could get lice. Second of all, oh my goodness, are you kidding me! I hopped online to find out what to do, called my husband at work, and had my mother-in-law come over for reinforcement. After nearly $100 and a couple of nerve-wracking days later, I realized I had to do better with staying on top of health stuff with my school-aged gal.

No unwanted guests

Since then, we’ve been extra diligent in making sure my girl comes home without any extra little unwanted guests. Besides lice, another condition that frequently occurs in babies and school-aged kids is pinworms. Pinworms are small, thin, pin-shaped worms that can live in the human colon and rectum. They cause all sorts of itching and discomfort, especially at night. You can get infected with pinworms when you’re in contacted with someone who has them, through bedding, and sometimes by inhaling their eggs through the air or via food.

Yuck, right? Since pinworms are contagious, if one person in your family gets them, it’s possible that they will spread. You don’t want that to happen. It’s a good thing that preventing pinworms can be easy. Teaching your kids to wash their hands really well, especially after a bowel movement is critical. can be as easy as washing your hands after going to the bathroom, not sharing towels, and keeping your nails short.

Even when you’re cautious, things happen. Kids do the best that they can to be clean, but there is so much going on in school, and things are so fast paced, that sometimes they may forget to wash their hands. Or they might not understand how incredibly important it is to change their underwear every day. I mean, kids are kids, you know?

In the unfortunate event that your child gets pinworms, there is help. Reese’s Pinworm is an over-the-counter Pyrantel Pamoate-based medication that’s an easy and affordable way to treat pinworms–usually with just one dose. The medicine can usually rid the system of pinworms in about 72 hours. Since pinworms are highly contagious, everyone in the family will need to be treated for pinworms at the same time. Reese’s Pinworm comes in a (1) oz bottle or a (2) oz Family Pack.

The worse part of pinworms is the uncomfortable itching. After taking Reese’s Pinworm medicine, while you’re waiting for your system to be clear of the worms, Reese’s Pinworm Itch Relief Wipes provide relief from the itching, burning, soreness, and pain that is associated with pinworms. The wipes contain 1% pramoxine hydrochloride,and come in a resealable pouch that you can take for relief on the go.

I hope that none of you ever experience pinworms, but if you do, at least you know how to eliminate them. I want to leave you with a few tips from Reese’s Pinworm on preventing infections in the first place. Happy Back-To-School! Stay healthy!

How to prevent pinworms (from Reese’s Pinworm):

Bathe or shower daily

Frequently wash and change underwear, sleepwear, toys and bedding

Wash hands regularly, especially after using the toilet and before eating

Keep fingernails trimmed short

Discourage nail biting

Discourage touching, scratching bare anal areas

Keep your home clean

For more on pinworms, treatment, and prevention, head over to the Reese’s Pinworm site.